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Provincial Chairman of HADEP – Istanbul Section In which condition the HADEP can have a political activity ? Conditions are difficult. Our last Chairman, Murat Bozlak, whom I replaced until July, was imprisonned for five years and will be judged again nextly, because its call to the peace in newspapers. On 20th March, during the feast of Newroz (the Kurdish New Year) and at the time of our campaign for elections, the office was raided by policemen and many of us had been put in custody. In that time, we had more to defend themselves than to make a real campaign. Every meeting were forbid : this prohibition is not legal, but it had been authorized by the DGM (the Court of State Safety). Every meetings ended in custody. When we complainted, they answered us : "It happened without our authorization, we are not informed". We were obliged to dismiss for the last elections : there were 6 deads, our center had been attacked, our offices had been raided, our leaders could not enter in polling districts... Usually people vote in poolling booth, but in small towns army prevent them to vote for us and soldiers voted and not the electors. Many of Kurds support our party, but some Turks too. In the Kurdish regions we could have between 60 et 70 % of votes. Last year, 25 of us were elected, but it is necessary to have 10 % of votes for having a siege in the Parliament. The State does not respect its own laws and since two years it is not possible to have any political action. These pressures are practised against every Kurds in fact. The present policy, with the Öcalan's case has for aim the elimination of the Kurdes. There were some similar attemps in 1925/1930 and in 1938, but the Kurds have changed and the State too. The situation is not easy for Turkey now, with Öcalan. It would like to eliminate him, as it did in the past for other Kurdish leaders. But the Kurds want to prevent that... One of the aims of the State was to prevent us to obtain good results in these elections. The army thought that if they would not threat us, the HADEP could have 8 to 9 % of votes. They worried and they made their possible for people could not vote for us. Media boycotted us. In spite of this, we have had about 5 % of votes. How many Kurds live in Turkey ? The number of Kurds in Turkey is valued about to 20 millions, but they have to leave their country and become assimilated ; then, it is difficult to have an exact estimation. The Armenians are numerous too but nobody knows their real numbers, because it is dangerous to revendicate themselves as Armenians. The HADEP is the only party to be threatened ? On last 29th February, The Court of Safety had forbid many parties. The Court takes decisions like a Parliament, but militaries controled. In Turkey, there is a hidden state in the State, The "Anti-guerilla" State, that works with the Grey Wolves. After the Öcalan's rapt, we had lost the support of other parties, though we had before some good relations with lefted parties (ODP, SIP…) and it is the same thing with Workers syndicates. Relations had been cut off, though we had some projects of alliance. It is not against us, it is beacause they are afraid. The State tries to isolate us, but we fight and we attempt to maintain our relations. For 15 years, we could not express ourselves : we dinnered with friends and we saw them the next day in the funerarium. That is really a dirty war, terrific. May be you saw these pictures of soldiers holding cutted heads of guerilleros... But most of the time bodies are entirely cuttered up. Militaries made key-rings with humans'ears. It is impossible to understand if you did not live it, and the State pretends that the Kurdistan Workers Party have done it. I am personally against armed struggles, but the Kurds have not much ways nowadays. What do you think of the Öcalan's case ? Turkey accuses only one man, Öcalan, to be responsible of more than 30.000 deads ! By him, it tries to condemn all the Kurds. We asked to Europa to take care of the Öcalan's case : it is the more important. In the past, there were tragical exemples of murdered Kurdish leaders, and everybody are afraid that the same thing happens. We asked a support for preventing its execution. Had you been personally threatened ? Often I have been put in custody with important
psychological pressures : the worse is that they let you without saying what
you've done for that. The last time, it was after the rapt of a PKK's member,
Cevat Soysal : they wanted we admit having some links with this party and this
man. Then in press conference I asked to Turkish government and medias to have a
more moderate and mature attitude. During an inquiry, a reaport called me a
"dangerous personnality", but my friends and I had refused to sign
some such accusations. They had even arrested house painters who worked in our
office ! They took our adress books and broke our satellite aerial (because of
MED-TV). Do you receive some support from Europa ? Many delegations come to visit us and bring their support. We have relations with the German Greens for example, with Greece... It is important because none of our leaders can go to foreign countries. What is the programme of your party ? The main point is the Kurdish Question : The HADEP does not ask autonomy but wishes that populations live in harmony. We do not ask independance but the end of repression. We struggle against the 12th September1981 Law, imposed by militaries and revendicate democratical and liberal laws, for we think that the situation could be resolved by debates. Emergency Law should be suppressed. We denounce the system of Village Guardian. They are about 50 et 60.000 and these Kurds are paid for killing other Kurds. 4.000 villages had been destroyed and peasants should have the right to come back to their place and rebuilt them. The State should give the rame rights to the Kurds than other citizens and guarrantees their safety. In the Kurdish regions, there is no economical activity but the drug connexion organized by the Government using the Village Guardians. Between 40 and 50 % from the budget of the country comes from traffics and black money. We ask too the recognition of the syndicate rights. The most important problem here is to survive. More than 4.000 murders, some hundred of disappeared people, every day some persons are killed in the street. We think that the policy of the state is the cause of that situation. Turkey should respect Human's Rights, applies them and stop to pratice torture. Nowadays, murderers are not pursued, even when they are identified. The educational system must too be changed because
of its nationalism and its chauvinism. Our country refuses to see the problems
and accuses the others. Another way to express each identity should exist. What are you waiting from Foreign countries ? Foreigned democratical parties could help us to defend fundamental and democratic rights, as for example the right to study in his native tongue. Kurds want protect their culture and their identity. We see two possibilities for resolving the Kurdish Question : genocide or a softer policy. The State had chosen the first way, but we think that this policy is getting us nowhere. For that reason it is important that delegations come for meeting us. What is the role of United States in the Kurdish Question ? It is important because United
States want to control Near-East and do anything for that purpose : Israël and
Turkey are two strategical points. We are surprised that American people try to
federate the Kurds in Irak and not in Turkey. They opposed to the PKK because it
is the only political force that exists now in Middle-East. United States want
to destroy it. They neutralized Syria and Lybia but the main obstacle is the PKK
and its ideology troubles them. I think that they could even let the Kurds in
Turkey become independant if the PKK would share the ideas of the PUK or the KDP.
The problem of United States is that they can not convince Turkey to resolve the
Kurdish Question with political ways, for Turkey asserts that Kurds don't exist. OFK - March & July 1999 - Photo Roxane |
